Interest In

Automobile Efficiency

To the Editor,

As a direct result of your publication of an article back on April 7th about my hybrid automobile, that car was on display at the recent antique and classic auto show held in Bridgewater. It was neither classic nor antique, but it drew the attention of hundreds of spectators all interested in the high efficiency of the Honda “Insight,” parked near the auto show entrance. Without knowing beforehand just what I was in for, I became a pitchman, lecturing for a solid six hours about what the gas/electric combination power plant would do, and what it wouldn’t do.

Within the first hour of showtime, it became evident that there was tremendous interest in high efficiency automobiles, the “Insight” being just a starter to get the inquiries and the conversations going. The quality of the questions asked was high, and some of the discussions carried over into the pluses for the uses of fuel cells in the near future to carry along the advance promoted by the interim hybrid on display.

I had fun! And I’m sure the folks who attended the very well run Housatonic Valley Auto Show had as much fun as I did, talking about the progress of one hundred years of auto design, many examples of which were there to be seen on the Bridgewater Fairgrounds. This was the 25th show promoted by the Hawleyville based antique auto collectors group. May this organization continue with enthusiasm for another quarter century.

Doug Rogers

Shepard Hill, Newtown                        June 28, 2000